Authors note: 8 reviews for the next chapter. No freaky stuff, okay, 4 year old romances is not my thing!
Julian watched the small girl lying curled up on the sofa. Her golden hair fell over her face, her small form squeezed up so tightly, protectively. She was trembling slightly in her sleep, but how could she sleep soundly in so much fear?
He wanted to touch her, to brush her hair out of her eyes, to stroke the soft cheeks, but he couldn't. Not without her permission, and not when she was so young. He had to help her escape, to get back to her world, but he had no idea how.
And why did he want to help her so badly? She had opened the door, released them, her own silly mistake, and now she was rightfully theirs – their prey. But he couldn't think of hurting her, treating her like he had treated his many other victims through the years. She was so young, so innocent, so different to himself, and he was attracted to her like a fly to a lightbulb, a north pole to a south. A shadow man – in love? It was impossible. He would go get the other shadow men when the week was up, and hand her over. He wasn't going soft. He couldn't go soft.
In her sleep, Jenny started to cry out. Her sleep was tortured by nightmares, Julian could tell. He was an expert in all things nightmarish. He watched as she tossed and turned in her agony. The shadow men were in her dreams – torturing her from the inside. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Stay strong, Julian thought, don't go soft. But he couldn't bare it, watching her in such total terror. He could see the images racing through her mind – her mother lying in a pool of blood on the floor, her father with flames licking at his clothes, her grandfather (Julian shuddered at the sight of him) screaming in pain, and a light haired boy with grey eyes and a beaky face lying completely still.
"Zach!" Jenny screamed, her face soaked with sweat and tears. Julian was standing right over her now, watching the tiny body twisting about on the sofa. He stretched out his hand, and shook her shoulder. Jenny snapped awake.
"Julian?" She sobbed, "They're going to get me. And mommy, and daddy, and grandfather and…" Another sob choked in her throat, "…Zach."
"It's okay, Jenny, it's just a dream. Your family are okay." Julian voice was very small and quiet. He couldn't believe or understand what had happened. Pity, that's what humans called it, pity. Such a world did not exist in the shadow world. Shadow men were merciless – until now, so was Julian.
Jenny's tears were streaming freely now, her half sobs had turned into wails. "I want to go home," She screamed, "I want to go home."
Julian looked down at her, their eyes met, his unimaginable blue eyes meeting her green ones – shining with tears. "I want to take you home." He said, then he turned away, hiding his face.